GRESB Assessment

GRESB Assessment

WHAT IS GRESB?

GRESB is an annual survey assessing the ESG-related policies, programmes and performance of real estate entities (listed and non-listed). Participating entities are awarded a score and a number of stars out of 5, which are communicated to GRESB’s investor members. These outputs also provide participants with an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as a third-party performance benchmark that can be used in sustainability-related communications.

WHY SUBMIT TO GRESB?

GRESB is the leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world. The benchmark covers over USD 4 trillion in real estate and infrastructure value and is used by more than 100 institutional investors. For many investors, it is the single most important sustainability benchmark in the real estate sector.

HOW COULD GRESB BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS?

GRESB provides real estate entities with a clear understanding of how they are performing against other entities in their country and in their sector. It is by no means the only measure of a company’s sustainability, but it provides a good overview of how the entity is performing relative to its peers, and where it should focus its resources. That said, it is predominantly a measure of a company’s internal management and corporate structure, and it should by no means be the only benchmark against which an entity measures its performance.

Perhaps its greatest strength is that it can be used both by companies that are in their infancy of their sustainability journey, and those that have well established sustainability strategies. Its wide applicability, and the annual development of the questions ensure that it both remains relevant, and continues to expand its coverage.

Finally, given that research has identified a premium on total returns of up to 3% between the highest and lowest GRESB scores (for non-listed European funds), there is an increasingly strong financial case for real estate entities to subscribe to GRESB.

HOW CAN LONGEVITY PARTNERS HELP YOU?

Longevity Partners can work with you to complete your GRESB survey and understand your score. We have helped clients get on the GRESB ladder and have equally supported clients to be market leaders with many achieving top results. We can help you to develop and implement a framework approach, with data management solution that aligns with the GRESB survey. This sets out a clear plan to improve future GRESB performance, aligned with your overall organisation investment strategy and environmental objectives.